Germain Racing News

Mooresville, N.C. (02-19-2011) – Friday night, under the lights at Daytona International Speedway, Todd Bodine fired up the No. 30 Tire Kingdom Tundra for its maiden voyage. The sponsor is new to Germain Racing and the team was geared up to give Tire Kingdom a great night in the season opener for the 2011 NASCAR Camping World Truck Series. Unfortunately, the luck that had been so keenly on the side of Bodine and the No. 30 team at Daytona seemed to have run out. The No. 30 Tire Kingdom Tundra had a starring roll in two big crashes in the 100-lap event that resulted in a 23rd-place finish, four laps shy of the scheduled race distance.

“It’s not how we wanted to start this relationship with Tire Kingdom and Service Center or how we wanted to start the season with Valvoline. They’ve been a great sponsor for our team,” said Bodine who hadn’t finished worse than fifth in Trucks at Daytona prior to Friday night. “We’ll come back again, we’ll get them at Phoenix. It’s a new points system, so we’ll see how it shakes out.”

After the first crash, the Tire Kingdom pit crew did a repair job that should make the Service Center crowd cheer. The No. 30 Tire Kingdom Tundra suffered several hits to the nose and rear of the truck, but was able to go back on track and even work back toward the front of the field.

“Never give up is not just a saying for our pit crew, it’s truly how we feel. If the Tundra is still running, and has all four wheels on the ground, we’ll do whatever it takes to get the truck back out on the race track,” said crew chief Mike Hillman Jr.

Just before the SPEED broadcast booth announcers were marveling that there were only five race trucks left late in the race that had not yet been crashed, they were commenting on how aggravating it had to be to watch the beat up Tire Kingdom Tundra passing your truck, if you were one of the undamaged vehicles left in the fray.

“Our driver doesn’t quit until we tell him there’s no way the truck is safe to race. We put the Tire Kingdom Tundra back on track, and Todd did the best he could with it,” said Hillman Jr.

“It took two crashes today to finish us off. Travis had a tire go down and we had no where to go. At the end, there, it was just a big mess. It was good tight racing tonight, but the finish certainly isn’t what we’d like to have seen for our Tire Kingdom Toyota Tundra,” said Bodine.

Follow Germain Racing on Twitter @GermainRacing or on the web at Germainracing.com or become a fan on Facebook: Facebook.com/pages/Germain-Racing/198863890135.

ABOUT SERVICE CENTRAL:

Service Central® is the automotive service offering available exclusively at Tire Kingdom®, NTB-National Tire and Battery®, Merchant’s Tire and Auto®, and Big O Tires®. Available at nearly 1,300 locations nationwide, its trained and certified ASE technicians use state-of-the art equipment to provide quality service on cars or trucks. The nationwide warranty provides peace of mind while it protects consumers and their investment in over 40 states. (http://www.facebook.com/ServiceCentralRacing)

ABOUT TBC RETAIL GROUP

Headquartered in Juno Beach, Florida, TBC Retail Group, Inc., a subsidiary of TBC Corporation, operates more than 800 tire and automotive service centers under the brands: Tire Kingdom®, NTB - National Tire and Battery®, and Merchant’s Tire and Auto Centers®, along with nearly 500 franchised Big O Tires® locations. The contingent of nearly 1300 stores has trained and certified ASE technicians who use state-of-the-art equipment to provide quality service on cars and trucks.The nationwide warranty provides peace of mind while it protects consumers and their investment in over 40 states.TBC Retail Group employs more than 300 associates at its Juno Beach, Fla. headquarters and approximately 10,000 associates nationally.To locate a store near you, call 800-NEW-TIRE. TBC Corporation, headquartered in Palm Beach Gardens, Florida, is one of the nation's largest marketers of automotive replacement tires through a multi-channel retail and wholesale strategy.

Mooresville, N.C. (February 18, 2010) - Germain Racing driver and reigning NASCAR Camping World Truck Series driver Todd Bodine is giving Tire Kingdom as well as team sponsor Valvoline double exposure in Daytona this weekend. Bodine races the No. 30 Tire Kingdom Tundra tonight at Daytona International Speedway and tomorrow he will compete in his 12th race in NASCAR’s number two series at the famous race track behind the wheel of the No. 15 Tire Kingdom Camry.

“Tire Kingdom has been in racing -- they do a lot of other things in NHRA and drag racing, and they partnered with Valvoline to come up with this program for Speed Weeks. We’re really proud to be able to be with them in NASCAR. Hopefully we can grow the program and make it bigger and better down the line,” said Bodine, who scored a victory sporting the Valvoline logo last season in the Truck Series at Texas Motor Speedway.

Germain Racing and Bodine were hoping to make it a trifecta weekend for Tire Kingdom’s debut run with the team, but Bodine was caught up in a late race crash in the Gatorade Duels on Thursday afternoon which spoiled his bid for a spot in the Daytona 500 starting lineup. Still the driver affectionately known as “The Onion” will do his best to make the competition cry and the fans cheer wildly on two different broadcast networks this weekend at Daytona.

Watch Bodine on ESPN2 on Friday at 4:00 PM ET as he qualifies the No. 15 Tire Kingdom Camry for Saturday’s race which airs on ESPN2 at 1:00 PM ET.

On SPEED, watch Bodine in the No. 30 Tire Kingdom Tundra on Friday, February 18th, at Daytona International Speedway on SPEED with race coverage beginning at 7:30 PM Eastern. Or, tune your radio to your local MRN affiliate.

Follow Germain Racing on Twitter @GermainRacing or on the web at Germainracing.com or become a fan on Facebook: Facebook.com/pages/Germain-Racing/198863890135.

ABOUT SERVICE CENTRAL:

Service Central® is the automotive service offering available exclusively at Tire Kingdom®, NTB-National Tire and Battery®, Merchant’s Tire and Auto®, and Big O Tires®. Available at nearly 1,300 locations nationwide, its trained and certified ASE technicians use state-of-the art equipment to provide quality service on cars or trucks. The nationwide warranty provides peace of mind while it protects consumers and their investment in over 40 states. (http://www.facebook.com/ServiceCentralRacing)

ABOUT TBC RETAIL GROUP

Headquartered in Juno Beach, Florida, TBC Retail Group, Inc., a subsidiary of TBC Corporation, operates more than 800 tire and automotive service centers under the brands: Tire Kingdom®, NTB - National Tire and Battery®, and Merchant’s Tire and Auto Centers®, along with nearly 500 franchised Big O Tires® locations. The contingent of nearly 1300 stores has trained and certified ASE technicians who use state-of-the-art equipment to provide quality service on cars and trucks. The nationwide warranty provides peace of mind while it protects consumers and their investment in over 40 states. TBC Retail Group employs more than 300 associates at its Juno Beach, Fla. headquarters and approximately 10,000 associates nationally. To locate a store near you, call 800-NEW-TIRE. TBC Corporation, headquartered in Palm Beach Gardens, Florida, is one of the nation's largest marketers of automotive replacement tires through a multi-channel retail and wholesale strategy.

DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. (February 18, 2011) – Entering Daytona Beach, Florida, Casey Mears and the No. 13 GEICO Toyota team had high hopes of getting their 2011 NASCAR Sprint Cup Series season off to a quick start. Unfortunately, the stars weren’t lined up as two engine failures in two days created a very disappointing week for the GEICO Racing crew at Daytona International Speedway.

On Wednesday afternoon during final practice before the Gatorade Duels, the first engine expired on Mears, causing the driver to sit out the remaining practice time and the team to change engines in the No. 13 Camry.

The start of the second Duel on Thursday afternoon saw Mears starting from the rear of the field, because of the engine change on Wednesday. After three quick laps on the 2.5-mile legendary superspeedway, the second engine failure occurred, putting Mears and the GEICO team in the garage permanently and ending their hopes of making Sunday’s running of the Daytona 500.

“I don’t know, we didn’t even get a shot,” said Mears, after the second engine expired. “We’ll see, we have a good team and I know we are going to do good at some of the other races but you know the fact that we couldn’t run through practice on Wednesday and then run a few laps before the Duel didn’t help us. I don’t have to say what this feels like; obviously it feels terrible. But we will keep digging, look forward to next weekend and hopefully have a good day in Phoenix.”

Mears and the GEICO team will head to Phoenix (Ariz.) International Raceway next weekend, to attempt to make the second race of the 2011 season on February 27, 2011. Qualifying will take place on Saturday afternoon at 2:05 p.m. Eastern Time. Live coverage of the race can be seen on FOX, Sunday afternoon at 3 p.m. Eastern Time.

- At Daytona, Bodine has finished 5th or better in each of six NCWTS races

Mooresville, N.C. (February 16, 2010) - Germain Racing has a new look for 2011. The NASCAR Camping World Truck Series champions are kicking off the year with a sponsorship from Tire Kingdom on the No. 30 Tundra and this season will be the first in two years that sees the 30 Tundra have a full-time teammate again. In fact, Bodine will be flanked by three teammates—Max Papis in the No. 9 GEICO Tundra, Brendan Gaughan, No. 62 South Point Hotel & Casino Tundra and Justin Lofton, No. 77 Lofton Cattle Tundra. Germain Racing’s three full-time additions to the Truck Series have played into the recipe for what could be the most competitive season in history, according to the reigning champ who is attempting to race in all three events at Daytona International Speedway this weekend.

“I’m excited about the truck series and for the series because we’ve got a lot of new teams coming in with really good drivers. I feel like this is probably going to be the most competitive year in the Truck Series ever,” explained Bodine, who is racing at Daytona International Speedway for Tire Kingdom in the No. 30 Tire Kingdom Tundra on Friday night, in the No. 15 Tire Kingdom Camry on Saturday and on Sunday in the No. 60 Tire Kingdom Camry.

Bodine says the reason 2011 should go down in history as the best season ever is that the Truck Series fields are brimming full of competitive racing teams and drivers and it’s why the fans keep coming back to watch the Trucks.

“When the series first started, they had a lot of good guys, but there was only five or six teams that really could step up anytime and win a race. If you look at the list of teams we’ve got and drivers, I think this year there’s an honest 12 or 15 teams that could win on any given week. To have that kind of level of competition is incredible,” said Bodine, noting that in a 36 truck field, nearly half of the competition is regularly competing for the win each week. “I believe that’s one reason that fans are drawn to the Truck Series,” said Bodine. “We’ve got a lot of good teams that are on level playing fields. We don’t have four or five that are going to run away with the show every week. When the fans show up to watch, they never know who is going to win.”

Bodine and Germain Racing are part of the deeper talent pool this season. They have recruited three full-time drivers to add to their Truck Series fleet this year. Bodine did his part. They are also part of another big three in Daytona as Bodine and Germain Racing attempt to race in the Truck Series season opener as well as the NNS and NSCS openers all with sponsorship from Tire Kingdom.

“It’s pretty neat. I don’t know that it’s ever been done where one sponsor sponsored all three series at Daytona -- the same driver, same team. Tire Kingdom has been in racing -- they do a lot of other things in NHRA and drag racing, and they partnered with Valvoline to come up with this program for Speed Weeks. We’re really proud to be able to be with them in NASCAR. Hopefully we can grow the program and make it bigger and better down the line,” said Bodine.

Bodine is strapping into racing chassis TRD-058 for Friday’s season opener. It is the only chassis to ever be a No. 30 Tundra at Daytona or Talladega. The truck has four restrictor plate wins in a stretch that began with a pole and win in 2007 at Talladega and continued through a win at Daytona in 2009 in a then unsponsored No. 30 Tundra. No driver had collected four consecutive superspeedway wins when Bodine accomplished this.

Watch Bodine in the No. 30 Tire Kingdom Tundra on Friday, February 18th, at Daytona International Speedway on SPEED with race coverage beginning at 7:30 PM Eastern. Or, tune your radio to your local MRN affiliate.

Follow Germain Racing on Twitter @GermainRacing or on the web at Germainracing.com or become a fan on Facebook: Facebook.com/pages/Germain-Racing/198863890135.

ABOUT SERVICE CENTRAL:

Service Central® is the automotive service offering available exclusively at Tire Kingdom®, NTB-National Tire and Battery®, Merchant’s Tire and Auto®, and Big O Tires®. Available at nearly 1,300 locations nationwide, its trained and certified ASE technicians use state-of-the art equipment to provide quality service on cars or trucks. The nationwide warranty provides peace of mind while it protects consumers and their investment in over 40 states. (http://www.facebook.com/ServiceCentralRacing)

ABOUT TBC RETAIL GROUP:

Headquartered in Juno Beach, Florida, TBC Retail Group, Inc., a subsidiary of TBC Corporation, operates more than 800 tire and automotive service centers under the brands: Tire Kingdom®, NTB - National Tire and Battery®, and Merchant’s Tire and Auto Centers®, along with nearly 500 franchised Big O Tires® locations. The contingent of nearly 1300 stores has trained and certified ASE technicians who use state-of-the-art equipment to provide quality service on cars and trucks. The nationwide warranty provides peace of mind while it protects consumers and their investment in over 40 states. TBC Retail Group employs more than 300 associates at its Juno Beach, Fla. headquarters and approximately 10,000 associates nationally. To locate a store near you, call 800-NEW-TIRE. TBC Corporation, headquartered in Palm Beach Gardens, Florida, is one of the nation's largest marketers of automotive replacement tires through a multi-channel retail and wholesale strategy.

- He returns to the Trucks behind wheel of No. 62 South Point Hotel & Casino Tundra

- Gaughan’s crew chief is Bryan Berry

- Gaughan won in the GT class in the Rolex 24 at Daytona this year

Mooresville, N.C. (February 14, 2010) - The NASCAR Camping World Truck Series fans will be excited to see one of their own return to them when the No. 62 South Point Hotel & Casino Tundra takes to the track for Friday’s NextEra Energy Resources 250 to kick off the 2011 racing season. Behind the wheel will be Las Vegas’ Brendan Gaughan. He holds eight Truck Series wins, three poles and is excited to return in a Toyota Tundra as part of the reigning champions—Germain Racing.

“This will be the best chance I’ve had to win in the Truck Series at Daytona in a long time,” said Gaughan, a ranking member of Truck Series history who is still smiling from his recent win in the Rolex 24 GT Class at Daytona.

Gaughan explains that while he’s now a member of the elite list of Daytona race winners, he’s still very enthusiastic about heading into the 2011 Truck Series season with one of the best restrictor plate teams in the garage.

“We all know that in NASCAR we go into our season with our ‘Super Bowl’ as our first race - Daytona. Going to Daytona with Germain Racing, a team which we all know has collected ‘a few’ wins on restrictor plate tracks—knowing I’ll be racing their equipment, I can’t help but be excited about the possibilities. Everyone wants to win at Daytona. I’ve done it, and I want to do it again. I’m really excited about getting into the South Point Hotel & Casino Tundra at Daytona,” said Gaughan.

Bryan Berry will lead the way for Gaughan and the two will have one of the newest Tundra trucks in Germain’s fleet. He has been crew chief for Gaughan in his last three Truck Series seasons.

“It’s great to be back with Brendan, in the Truck Series. We have worked together at three different teams over the past five years. Germain Racing is a great fit for us and the equipment we are getting to race is exactly what you’d expect from a championship team. The two newest teams have the two brand new trucks heading into the season opener. We like our chances with chassis GR-014 and we’re looking forward to all the support here at Germain,” said Berry, a Homestead, FL, native who now lives in NC.

Germain Racing has two Daytona wins. Gaughan and Berry hope to make it three when the Truck Series season kicks off on Friday night. Watch Gaughan in the No. 62 South Point Hotel & Casino Tundra on Friday, February 18th, at Daytona International Speedway. The green flag is set to wave just after 7:30 PM Eastern for 100 laps/250 Miles of Daytona action. Watch live coverage on SPEED—practice is Wednesday at 4:30 PM and at noon on Thursday followed that evening by qualifying at 6:00 PM. Racing is at 7:30 PM. For radio coverage tune in to your local MRN affiliate.

Germain Racing has earned two championship titles in the Truck Series. The Toyota team owns 22 victories and 9 pole awards in the series that continues to grow ratings on SPEED. For more information on Germain Racing, visit www.GermainRacing.com or follow the team on Twitter @GermainRacing.

Brendan Gaughan holds eight Truck Series victories to go along with his two K&N Pro Series West championship titles. Follow Gaughan at www.BrendanGaughan.com or on Twitter @Brendan62.

About South Point…The South Point (http://www.SouthPointCasino.com) is a 2,200-room resort in Las Vegas, Nevada providing affordable luxury while catering to visitors and locals alike. This casino destination features a world-class spa, bowling center, eight restaurants, showroom, equestrian arena, convention center, exhibit hall, bingo and all of the casino games that made Las Vegas famous. The South Point opened in December 2005.

Justin Lofton, No. 77 Lofton Cattle Toyota Tundra

Track: Daytona International Speedway

Event: NextEra Energy Resources 250

When: Friday, February 18th 7:30 PM

Broadcast information: 7:30 PM, SPEED

New Year, New Team:Lofton joins Germain Racing for his sophomore effort in 2011 behind the wheel of the No. 77 Lofton Cattle Toyota Tundra. Lofton is now part of a four-truck stable including teammates Max Papis, Brendan Gaughan, and two-time series champion Todd Bodine. To date, Germain Racing has 22 wins, nine pole awards and two NASCAR Camping World Truck Series championships. During Lofton's debut season in trucks in 2010, he accumulated a solid stat sheet including four top-five and eight top-10 finishes, with a best finish of third, and a season-ending 12th place showing in the driver point standings.

No "Off" Season for Lofton: Despite the break in competition, Lofton had anything but downtime. He kept busy during the two month absence from the track by hosting a charity golf tournament in his native California. All proceeds from the event benefited the Boys and Girls Clubs of the Imperial Valley. Following the golf outing, Lofton trekked to Nevada and participated in the SCORE Laughlin Desert Challenge. He led day one in Class 1 Unlimited and was well on his way to the win on the second and final day before breaking a spindle on the last lap of the event. From there, Lofton returned to North Carolina and participated in two separate test sessions with his new team before heading to Daytona.

Lofton at Daytona:Friday's event at Daytona may be his first with his new Germain Racing team, but it will not be Lofton's first on the 2.5-mile superspeedway. In 2010 in truck competition, Lofton started 19th and finished 18th. In 2009, en route to the ARCA Racing Series championship, Lofton earned the pole for ARCA's season-opener and finished an impressive third.

Birthday Boy: In addition to kicking off the new season on Friday, February 18th, Lofton will celebrate his 25th birthday at the World Center of Racing.

Truck Information: Lofton will race chassis GR015 this week at Daytona. It is a brand new truck that has yet to hit the racetrack.

Lofton on Daytona:"I am so excited about this season with Germain Racing. I've spent a lot of time with my new crew chief and we get along great. We've got a great group of guys on the No. 77 team and I can't wait to start the season. It is really going to be a lot of fun this year, and there is no better way to start than racing under the lights at Daytona. I really enjoy superspeedway racing. It's fun and historic."

Crew Chief Ryan "Rudy" Fugle on Daytona: "I am excited to be part of the Germain Racing truck program and to work with Justin. Germain is always strong at superspeedways. I feel like we have a good shot at the win. With Friday being Justin's birthday, it would be extra special."

DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. (Feb. 9, 2011) -- Tire Kingdom®, a leading brand of automotive service centers for the Florida-based TBC Retail Group, announced that it will be the primary sponsor in Todd Bodine's quest to compete in NASCAR's three national racing series for Germain Racing at Daytona International Speedway.

A 36-time NASCAR winner, Bodine is entered in the No. 30 Tire Kingdom Toyota Tundra for the Feb. 18 Camping World Truck Series race, the No. 15 Tire Kingdom Toyota Camry for the Feb. 19 Nationwide Series event and the No. 60 Tire Kingdom Toyota Camry for the Feb. 20 Daytona 500 Sprint Cup Series opener.

Bodine’s vehicles for the season-opening races will also carry associate sponsorship from Valvoline and TBC Retail’s other automotive service centers -- NTB - National Tire and Battery®, Merchant's Tire and Auto Centers® and Big O Tires®.

“Featuring Tire Kingdom as the primary on these vehicles is a great complement to our automotive service centers in the Florida market,” said Bob Crostarosa, senior vice president of marketing and advertising, TBC Retail Group. “We are able to maintain the consistent theme of our Service Central Racing program. The red, white and blue color scheme is synonymous with integrity, trustworthiness, and quality, which is the foundation of Service Central® and our service centers Tire Kingdom, NTB-National Tire and Battery, Merchant’s Tire and Big O Tires.”

Bodine is the reigning and two-time NASCAR truck season champion. Since 2005 – his first season driving full time for Germain Racing -- he has never finished lower than fourth in the season point standings. Along with winning the series title last year, he also took home the truck championship in 2006.

Bodine’s truck record at Daytona has been impeccable with two wins, two runners-up, a third and a fifth for a finishing average of 2.3 in six starts. Bodine’s overall truck record includes: 21 wins, 82 top fives and 106 top 10s in 165 starts.

“I am very excited to have Tire Kingdom and Valvoline for all of my races in Daytona and being part of the Service Central Racing program,” said Bodine. “It does not happen often that you get to represent one great company, let alone two in all three races in a weekend. Hopefully with a little luck we can run up front and get into Victory Lane.”

Bodine, a native of Chemung, N.Y. and the youngest (46) of the three famous racing brothers with Geoffrey and Brett, has a career total of 238 Cup starts (including four in the Daytona 500) and 324 Nationwide Series starts. He has captured 15 victories in the Nationwide Series.

"It is with great honor that we can bring world class brands such as Tire Kingdom, Service Central and Valvoline together with Germain Racing and our reigning NASCAR Camping World Truck Series champion, Todd Bodine,” said team owner Bob Germain Jr. “It is a perfect complement in both brand and sport, and a partnership we are very much looking forward to cultivating as we have done with Valvoline."

Germain, along with brothers Steve and Rick, formed Germain Racing in 2004. The team has collected six consecutive top-five point finishes in the Truck Series, including two championships, 22 wins and nine pole awards. Follow Germain Racing on Twitter @GermainRacing, on the web at Germainracing.com or become a fan on Facebook: Facebook.com/pages/Germain-Racing/198863890135.

ABOUT SERVICE CENTRAL:

Service Central® is the automotive service offering available exclusively at Tire Kingdom®, NTB-National Tire and Battery®, Merchant’s Tire and Auto®, and Big O Tires®. Available at nearly 1,300 locations nationwide, its trained and certified ASE technicians use state-of-the art equipment to provide quality service on cars or trucks. The nationwide warranty provides peace of mind while it protects consumers and their investment in over 40 states. (http://www.facebook.com/ServiceCentralRacing)

ABOUT TBC RETAIL GROUP

Headquartered in Juno Beach, Florida, TBC Retail Group, Inc., a subsidiary of TBC Corporation, operates more than 800 tire and automotive service centers under the brands: Tire Kingdom®, NTB - National Tire and Battery®, and Merchant’s Tire and Auto Centers®, along with nearly 500 franchised Big O Tires® locations. The contingent of nearly 1300 stores has trained and certified ASE technicians who use state-of-the-art equipment to provide quality service on cars and trucks. The nationwide warranty provides peace of mind while it protects consumers and their investment in over 40 states. TBC Retail Group employs more than 300 associates at its Juno Beach, Fla. headquarters and approximately 10,000 associates nationally. To locate a store near you, call 800-NEW-TIRE. TBC Corporation, headquartered in Palm Beach Gardens, Florida, is one of the nation's largest marketers of automotive replacement tires through a multi-channel retail and wholesale strategy.

Join the gang from Auto Smarts as presented by Germain.com this Sunday from 10am-12n on 95.5 The Hawk and Wink 107.1 as they put the pedal to the metal and blaze the quarter mile! Dan "Boots" Longenette, Randy Rhinehart, Lex McAllister, and Germain Honda GM Jessica Germain will be joined in the studio by Mike Fornataro from National Trail Raceway! Mike will be talking about how they are gearing up for the 47th season of racing at National Trail Raceway! All of the high-speed, rubber burning action is only a few weeks and a few miles away in beautiful Hebron, Ohio. Mike and the crew will be taking your phone calls as well at: 614-389-4044.

Auto Smarts as presented by Germain.com will also welcome Nancy Burton from ODOT to the program. Nancy and her co-workers at ODOT District 6 are responsible for 4,300 US Route, State Route and Interstate lane miles and 1,552 bridges throughout eight counties in Central Ohio. And you thought dealing with your driveway was enough! Nancy will talk about everything from paving to plowing! Jack Moser will be making anappearance to tell you what to do or not to do if you get pulled over with his weekly bustedfordrunkdriving.com feature. Plus, Michael Sacks of Kimmel and Silverman will check in with his 1-800Lemon Law Lemon Aid Minute.

(2-4-2011) Justin Lofton has spent the last two days testing in Florida with his Germain Racing team, readying for the start of the upcoming NASCAR Camping World Truck Series season on February 18th. Following his final run on Friday afternoon, Lofton will head to Arizona and transition from his No. 77 Toyota Tundra to his No. 1577 Class 1500 Buggy for this weekend's Parker 425.

"I am so excited to run this race this weekend. It is always a blast to race in the desert. It is something I will never stop doing. I have too much fun with it," Lofton said.

Lofton last raced off-road in the SCORE Laughlin Desert Challenge a few weeks ago, having led day one in Class 1, and was well on his way to the win during the second day's run before a broken spindle on the last lap dashed his hopes.

This weekend the 24-year-old will split seat-time with his father Bob, who has over 20 years of off-road racing experience and numerous class wins of his own, including the Baja 1000. The duo will take turns behind the wheel of the Buggy, with Bob wheeling the first two laps and Justin completing the final 150 miles.

The Best in the Desert Racing Association's Bluewater Resort and Casino Parker 425 runs from Saturday through Monday.

In 2004, Lofton earned the Best in the Desert Class 1000 championship and Rookie of the Year honors.

Following his desert run, Lofton will head back to Florida for Speed Weeks, followed by his debut behind the wheel of the No. 77 Lofton Cattle Toyota in the NextEra Energy Resources 250 on Friday, February 18th.

Tune in to 95.5 The Hawk or Wink 107.1 this Sunday from 10am-12n for Auto Smarts as presented by Germain.com and get all of your car questions answered! Dan "Boots" Longenette, Randy Rhinehart and Lex McAllister will be joined in the studio by Todd Primmer from Line-X of Central Ohio. Todd will be the first to tell you that the LINE-X protective coating isn't just for pick-up trucks anymore! Regardless of what equipment you have or what your needs might be, LINE-X has you covered! Todd will talk about all of the many ways LINE-X can be used on your work and personal vehicles.

Speaking of vehicles...Auto Smarts as presented by Germain.com also welcomes the man that NAPA Auto Parts calls one of the best auto electrical guys in the state! Don Zaiser from Petty's Auto Electrical Service will be stopping by the Auto Smarts studio high atop Germain Cadillac to answer any and all questions you may have about your car's electrical system. From setting the clock on your car stereo to re-wiring the whole sled, Don has decades of auto electrical experience and tips that could help save you a fortune in electrical repairs! As always, Jack Moser will be making his weekly appearance to talk about what to do or not to do if you get pulled over with his bustedfordrunkdriving.com feature. Plus, Michael Sacks of Kimmel and Silverman will check in with his 1-800 Lemon Law Lemon Aid Minute.

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About Germain Racing

Germain Racing team owner Bob Germain Jr. is passionate about racing in NASCAR’s highest ranks. He and his brothers, Steve and Rick, established the racing team in 2004 and Bob is thrilled to see the team’s progression to competing each week in the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series.